10.14.18

Unless you’ve been living in a bubble, last month’s senate confirmation hearings for Judge Kavanaugh were a spectacle to behold. Never in the history of the senate have we seen behavior like this.

What am I referring to?

Never in my lifetime did I believe that I would see lawmakers, in our highest chamber, calling for the suspension of one of our country’s most fundamental concepts, “innocent until proven guilty.”

We saw the Democrats in the senate using such concepts as “we must believe her truth (when hearing the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford), not calling for thetruth. We heard that evidence was no longer required in order to destroy a man’s stellar reputation and livelihood. We heard that it didn’t matter, since it was only a “job interview.” We heard the main witness, unable to name the place, the time, who was there, how she got there and how she got home. We heard legal experts state repeatedly that based on such slim evidence, this accusation wouldn’t have been allowed in court. Of course we were constantly we reminded by those against Judge Kavanaugh , “this isn’t a court, it’s a job interview,” as if the presumption of innocence is only allowed in the judicial system and not in all walks of life.

We saw the Democrats in the senate criticize how Judge Kavanaugh, reacted to questioning, as the man was literately accused of hideous crimes in front of the entire world. He heard “he doesn’t have the temperament to be a Justice” because of how strongly how long he defended himself. Of course, those most vehemently pointing the finger at him, completely ignored the hypocrisy of their actions; who wouldn’t defend themselves when faced by such horrific accusations backed up by absolutely no collaborating evidence or testimony?

We saw the Democrats in the senate look for hidden meanings in Judge Kavanaugh’s yearbooks. We saw them discuss flatulence as they parsed comments written by a teenager years ago. Somewhere was proof of the evil they had invented to keep Judge Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court, even if they had to invent it from whole cloth.

Meanwhile outside, “demonstrators,” many of whom were paid by far leftest organizations, acted in ways that were completely deplorable, accosting senators, screaming at them within inches of their faces.

So why did Democrats act this way?

I believe it’s for many reasons, among them a lack of a palatable political platform, devoid of working ideas and moral relativism leading to what can be considered a lack of morals.

Democrats are so fully outside of mainstream America that they only way they can advance their agenda is through judicial activism. Literally, judges legislating from the bench. Their ideas are so devoid of substance that they can only be advanced by imposing them through liberal activist courts.

So now, we has a country, must decide. Are these the type of we want to run our country? Are we so devoid of morals and values?

07.11.17

I have often wondered why, aside from a nudge from the evil one, that in modern society, the only way to define woman’s rights is to be able to terminate a unborn child.

Why does this seem to be the “be all-end all” of defining womanhood?

Are modern women now defined by a never ending quest for actions without consequences? Rather than protecting the innocent, must they prove womanhood by violently destroying the most innocent among us; one who depends on their mom for protection?

The unborn is truly wronged, never asking to be unintentionally created from careless, often “recreational” activity, they are destined to be murdered (for by strict definition, that’s what it truly is) violently in the womb.

I hope that modern women can reflect that doing away with an unexpected pregnancy is more empowering than facing the world and “conquering” it by choosing the higher road, not necessarily the easiest one.

07.22.15

I ran across these lines in Dean Koontz’s “The Taking”, and they struck a chord with me. Let me share them here:

“A supernatural event of world-shaking proportions, occurring in a faithless time when only science is believed to have the power to work miracles, might appear to be the work of an extraterrestrial species hundreds or even thousands of years more advanced than we are.”

We have become a faithless nation, calling bad things good, good things bad and turning our backs on God at almost every opportunity.

I believe Mr. Koontz’s statement will prove true to many people in the near future. When God sends His miracles, so many people will completely miss them. Satan, who is the father of lies and deception, will use these things to further deceive those who do not know God’s Word. The unwary will be deceived. These unwary will not only be people who don’t believe in God, but also many religious people who have put their faith in people instead of the Bible.

07.19.15

President Barack Obama’s nuclear nightmare negotiations with Iran is almost assuredly a done deal. It is highly unlikely Congress can over-ride his wishes, or that they even have the belly for it.

He has that powerful veto pen, you know—and that terrible telephone, about which he has informed us. These are weapons in his hand that apparently are—according to any who might oppose him—as fearsome as …well, as the possible nukes in the hands of the Persian mullahs he has just assured us we don’t have to fear.

With even the nation’s top general—the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—saying just before the nuclear agreement was announced that under no circumstance can Iran be allowed to have ICBMs with nuclear warheads aboard them, we learn that ICBMs were not mentioned in the agreement as prohibited in any way.

But, never fear. Inspections will make sure the experts can verify that compliance with the agreement that nukes won’t be developed will be followed. But, wait—there are no guarantees in the agreement stipulating that Iran must allow inspectors in at a moment’s notice if cheating is suspected.

It is true that there are dissenting voices. These opinions, for the most part, however, are muted to a large degree by mainstream media, and always presented in a slanted way that takes the watcher of news right back to the fact that the president and Secretary of State John Kerry have really held the Persians feet to the fire. Mr. Obama, it is said by those who cheer him no matter what, is finally showing why he received the Nobel Peace Prizealmost at the same time he became president of the United States. Everyone who was truly enlightened knew that the young, articulate, black man (as Joe Biden called him, saying that finally there was such a man to offer as candidate) would quickly earn the prestigious award, so why not just give it to him up front?

The voice truly crying in the wilderness is marginalized to the point of his being considered irrational even by some of the supposed fair and balanced voices on Fox News. I, for example, heard Shepard Smith agreeing with a pundit—an Obama sycophant—that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in calling Obama’s agreement with Iran a terrible thing was just repeating the mantra he has always ranted because he sees most everyone as Israel’s detractors. The man added, and Smith didn’t disagree, that those who really know the details of the Obama deal with Iran in the Israeli secretive Mossad, think Netanyahu is ignorant of the facts and simply is a contrarian. All of this against Mr. Netanyahu, without a follow up interview with the supposed Israeli clandestine operatives in question. I.e., there was no proof of such criticism within today’s Israeli Mossad.

Israel, like the Arab nations of the region, has not been allowed to have any say in the deal Obama has made with their most deadly adversary, the mullahs of Iran. The Israeli ambassador to the United States said it this way: “In such matters, if you aren’t at the table, you are on the menu.”

Some within Congress are making noise that if the details of the agreement just announced doesn’t contain guarantees that Iran won’t continue working toward a bomb, they will do all within their power to see that it doesn’t get final approval. Wanna bet?

Fact is, most of those in Congress have remained for the most part on the sidelines during all of the negotiations that were basically veiled—as are most things in which this presidential administration engages. They have had their heads in the proverbial sand.

Even more troubling than our representatives in government being willfully in the dark, however, is Christian leadership being even more so. This is the truly egregious malfeasance that gets to the heart of why such a president can make such a deal with such a diabolist state.

This is why study of Bible prophecy is not just important, but absolutely critical. The majority of pastors and teachers in churches—and I’m referring to those churches that preach the Gospel and are led by those who are born again believers—deliberately avoid even a cursory mention of prophecy found in God’s word. They are willfully ignorant. They keep their parishioners in the pews dumbed down by their neglect.

Things going on at present involving Israel, Iran and America have prophetic implications—with consequences to follow. One of the most focal regions of the world in Bible prophecy is at the heart of what we have witnessed the past week. Iran, of course, is at the center of ancient Persia. Persia is prophetically scheduled to be in cahoots with Russia during the Gog-Magog attack of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

Israel is to be the target of that attack. All of this is shaping in a way that cannot be missed except for those with no spiritual understanding and/or interest in God’s foretelling details of the end of human history.

Pastors and Bible teachers who avoid these things have performed and are performing a disservice that is incalculable in the amount of damage done. The spiritually dark powers are hard at work. They have blinded the eyes of those who are charged with handling America’s foreign policy matters. There is a real Prince of Persia, and he is alive and well, and aiding the Persian chess-masters as they completely hornswoggle U.S. negotiators at every move on the nuclear chessboard.

Pastors and teachers who should know better through a thorough study of their Bibles are like dispensable pawns on that chessboard, as they are useless to warn either our politicians or the people in the pews of their ever more extravagant theaters of worship-entertainment. They refuse to help prepare their flocks for defense against Satan’s assaults against Christians and Christianity in these last days.

While key prophecies for the end of the age—such as the rise of Iran/Persia—are obvious on the horizon, the shepherds in their pulpits turn the minds and spiritual hearts of those in the pews more and more inward, choosing to insulate the flocks, and themselves from the reality that is on the verge of devouring them.

The Apostle Paul’s inspired exhortation should resonate in the spiritual ears of all of God’s people as we see that day approaching.

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thes 5: 4-6)

The so-called “historic deal” between Iran, the United States and other world powers was a mistake long before it reached the rough draft stage. The passage of over a dozen deadlines, and with Iran cheating at every opportunity, should have made it obvious that this Islamic regime is untrustworthy.

It is beyond the realm of sensibility to have a negotiating partner that sees us as “The Great Satan” and regularly chants “Death to America.” Only demonic delusion would cause our political leaders to make a deal with the mad mullahs of Iran.

It is equally foolish for us to entertain the idea that Iran’s desire for a nuclear program is for some legitimate purpose. The Iranians have a 100-year supply of cheap oil, so it is an outright lie for them to say they need nuclear energy to power their cities.

The nearly 100-page accord actually does very little to curb Iranian’s nuclear program. I expected President Barack Obama to agree to a bad deal, but what he actually agreed to was worse than I could ever imagine. Under the accord there is no dismantlement of nuclear facilities, no spot inspections, no curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile program, no maintenance of the arms embargo, and no halt to Iran’s sponsorship of terror. Another failing of the deal is Obama’s refusal to even mention the four Americans being held hostage by Iran.

The biggest reason why Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was all smiles at the final meeting has to be the fact that Iran will be able to continue spinning its centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium. Once they produce enough uranium 235 to build a bomb, there is nothing to stop Iran from joining the nuclear weapons club.

Another clear indication that this is a disastrous deal was Iranian state television’s willingness to air Obama’s speech on the nuclear accord. Lacking any real concessions, President Barack Obama could only speak in generalities saying, “This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction.”

By giving Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief, we have removed an incentive for Ayatollah Khamenei to abide by the accord. Once Iran starts to cheat, and it will—weeks, months, or years will pass before we could apply financial pressure. There is no guarantee that Russia and China will back any new sanctions.

Another bad thing about this deal is that it only prevents Iran from building a bomb for only a limited amount of time. Secretary of State John Kerry admits that after 10 years Iran hand will be free to build as many bombs as they like. So much for Obama’s promise that he would never allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the agreement with Iran as “A ‘stunning historic mistake’ with far-reaching repercussions for the entire planet. The world is a much more dangerous place today than it was yesterday. The leading international powers have bet our collective future on a deal with a formal sponsor of international terrorism.” Netanyahu also said Israel is not bound by the deal, strongly hinting that military action remains an option.

When it comes to nuclear negotiations Obama has proven that he is mentally incompetent or worse—hell bent on destroying the US and Israel. Netanyahu now knows the fate of his nation rests in his hands. The Jewish State has already acted to end the nuclear ambitions of Iraq in 1981 and of Syria in 2007.

An Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities is now only a matter of time. It is possible that Saudi Arabia may help Israel to take out Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Saudis see their northern neighbor as a major threat and have already warned that the nuclear deal will make the Middle East a “more dangerous part of the world” if it comes with too many concessions.

It would give me great delight to see Obama’s chance at a second peace prize get flushed down the drain. I’m not sure I’ll be here to see Obama get egg on his face. Because a nuclear strike would cause huge economic and political disruption, it may be an event that can only take place on the other side of the Rapture.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:33-34).

I did a quick Google search of current events, since April of 2014, the last post we made, to remind me what has been happening in the world. Whoa! I think more happened in the last year than has happened in the last three years. Let’s review a bit and see what we can find:

We saw Russian President Vladimir Putin busy at work attempting to recreate the former Soviet Union, with a war with the Ukraine, and also signing a treaty with China. Interestingly, both Russia and China vetoed a U.N. move to refer Syria to the international criminal court for possible war crimes.

We saw Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappear without a trace, over the Indian Ocean.

Islamic terrorist organizations grew in massive proportions. ISIS in Iraq, labeled the “JV” by President Obama, has taken over large areas for Iraq and Syria. Christians, and non-Muslims living in these areas have been subjected to massive persecution and death. Boko Haram, operating in Nigeria, kidnapped 280 girls and young women, from a school, and have sold a significant number of them into sexual slavery. Also, here is the United States, a Muslim terrorist attacked several military recruiting offices in Chattanooga, TN. Four Marines and a Navy sailor were killed in the attack. In a nut shell, Islamic terrorism and terrorist are alive and well, and on the move.

Let’s come to the home front for a bit.

Obamacare is a disaster. The hardly any aspect of the program which is working as President Obama promised. Premiums are skyrocketing, waiting time to see physicians is longer than ever, many people may no longer see the doctor they want and the Supreme Court does major contortions to keep the law in place.

Speaking of major contortions, the Supreme Court outdid themselves on the issue of “gay marriage.” The contortions they did to make the 14th Amendment create a “right” for gays to “marry” would bring jealousy to most veteran Cirque du Soleil performers. Utilizing a mixture of junk science (gays are born gay) coupled with re-interpretation of the 14th Amendment, they spoke law into existence which is in complete violation of their assigned duties of interpreting law, not creating them.

Well, it’s been a busy year. Christians, one (or more) things have happen; we have moved significantly closer to the removal of Christ’s church (the Rapture) and/or we’re entering a period of real persecution here in the United States. Stay vigilant, pray unceasingly, and read the Bible.

It’s been over a year since we’ve posted on the blog. Some of you may wonder where we’ve been, what we’ve been doing.

The answer would be, for the most part, life. Life for myself and my family has been very intense and busy. Not really and excuse to not blog, but a very real time consuming situation. Family, work, chores all add into a day.

I have been very active on Facebook, but that group of people is quite small. Perhaps I’ve been too busy with it. I’ll reflect on that and get back with you.

In the meantime, I’ve decided that this “blog hiatus” needs to end, so I’m going to attempt to post items at least 2 to 3 times a week.

For those readers who have followed us in the past, welcome back. For new readers, thank you for joining us and we hope you’ll find something useful to take away from your visits here.

04.08.14

I was reading the news tonight and happened across an article, at Fox News, that caught my attention; “Sun, Mars, Earth to align in rare cosmic event and more in April’s night sky”. According to the article, the Sun, Mars and Earth are going to align. On April 14, at 8:53 a.m. ET, Mars will be at it’s closest approach to Earth. That evening, there will be a total lunar eclipse as well.

Lets have some fun with this and let me draw some “far out” parallels to Biblical Prophesy. Do I know more than the Biblical Scholars? Of course not. I would never attempt to enter the arena with them, let alone debate them, but always one to consider events through the mindset of Biblical Prophesy, I thought it might be fun to see if any of the stellar events actually line up to Biblical Events in any way. Luke 21:11 tells us that there will be “signs in the sky” to signal important events from God. So lets take a look…

April 14, 2014 is the start of the Jewish Passover. It officially begins at sunset in Jerusalem, which this year is 19:07 (7:07 PM). Already we have these stellar events occurring on the first day of the Jewish Passover.

By the way, Jesus was crucified right before a Sabbath following, or in the midst of, a Jewish Passover. Lets continue…

The stellar event of Mars passing close to earth will occur at 08:53 (8:53 AM EDT). This is 15:53 (3:53 PM) in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that Jesus died about “the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46). The “ninth hour” is 15:00 (3:00 PM). So Jesus dies on the the cross, the “day” before the Sabbath at about 15:00 (3:00 PM), about the time Mars will be closest to Earth this year.

The Bible says that “about noontime the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours”. Let this years Lunar Eclipse remind you of this darkness; of Jesus filled with the sin of world and cut off from God, condemned to die.

The Bible doesn’t specifically mention Mars as a harbinger of events, but is lumped in the general category of “the heavens” or the sky. It most certainly is a very noticeable planet, so I believe it most certainly won’t be excluded when the time comes.

I hope these extremely loose parallels made you think of how Jesus sacrificed himself so that all of us could be with God someday. The lamb was a sacrifice typically used to atone for the sins of the people. They were sacrificed immediately before the Passover celebration. Jesus was the “ultimate sacrifice” to God, replacing the lambs forever. Please keep that in mind this Passover/Easter season. Let the events in the skies remind you that our Creator, God Almighty, created everything and that a Savior, Jesus, was sent to make things right between God and his creation.

02.27.14

The government continues on its quest to shove so-called “homosexual marriage” down our throats, now going after states that overwhelmingly voted against it. This latest effort has federal judge Orlando Garcia ruling that this law in Texas is unconstitutional.
Let’s backtrack a moment.
Homosexuals have consistently equated their “struggle” with the civil rights movement of the ’60’s. There is, truthfully though, one huge difference; black people are born black, a scientific fact. In regards to homosexuals though, there is absolutely no scientific evidence that they are born that way. None whatsoever.
The Bible tells us that in end times, man will consistently thumb their collective noses at good, for all practical purposes, doing evil when good would be easier. I see this as just another step down the road toward and end wrought in Gods judgement on mankind.
Homosexual behavior is in direct contention with Christianity. The government has shown you who they are going to side with. Homosexual “marriage” over religious freedom. That’s their choice and decision.
So be it. God will not be mocked. Prepare for what is sure to come in the not too distant future; judgement and punishment from God.
Christians, hang on for the ride.

A federal judge declared a same-sex marriage ban in deeply conservative Texas unconstitutional on Wednesday, but will allow the nation’s second-most populous state to enforce the law pending an appeal that will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Orlando Garcia issued the preliminary injunction after two gay couples challenged a state constitutional amendment and a longstanding law. His ruling is the latest in a tangled web of lawsuits across the country expected to end up in the Supreme Court next year.

“Without a rational relation to a legitimate governmental purpose, state-imposed inequality can find no refuge in our United States Constitution,” Garcia wrote. “These Texas laws deny plaintiffs access to the institution of marriage and its numerous rights, privileges, and responsibilities for the sole reason that Plaintiffs wish to be married to a person of the same sex.”

Garcia said the couples are likely to win their case and the ban should be lifted, but said he would not enforce his ruling pending one by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which already is hearing two other states’ cases. He also will give Texas time to appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

Garcia, appointed by President Bill Clinton, is the first judge in the conservative 5th Circuit to reach such a decision. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who also is the leading Republican candidate to succeed Gov. Rick Perry, promised to appeal the decision to the New Orleans court.

“This is an issue on which there are good, well-meaning people on both sides,” Abbott said in a statement. “The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled over and over again that States have the authority to define and regulate marriage.”

The ruling is the latest in a series of victories for gay rights activists following similar decisions in Utah, Oklahoma and Virginia. The U.S. Supreme Court put the Utah ruling on hold until the 10th Circuit can consider an appeal, and Garcia said he would respect that order as well.

Mark Phariss and Victor Holmes filed their federal civil rights lawsuit saying Texas’ ban unconstitutionally denied them the fundamental right to marry because of their sexual orientation. Cleopatra De Leon and Nicole Dimetman filed a lawsuit saying Texas officials violated their rights by not recognizing their marriage conducted in a state where gay marriage is legal.

“Having been together almost 17 years, we look forward to the day when we can get married and when all gay Texans enjoy equal rights to marry as well,” Phariss and Holmes said in a statement.

02.10.14

Last week, the government continued its attack on traditional marriage and, yet again, thumbed its nose at God.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced Saturday evening that the Justice Department will now follow a landmark Supreme Court ruling on same-sex spouses, which means they will no longer be compelled to testify against each other in civil and criminal cases.

Holder’s speech was criticized by the conservative National Organization for Marriage.

“This is just the latest in a series of moves by the Obama administration, and in particular the Department of Justice, to undermine the authority and sovereignty of the states to make their own determinations regulating the institution of marriage,” said Brian Brown, the group’s president. “The changes being proposed here to a process as universally relevant as the criminal justice system serve as a potent reminder of why it is simply a lie to say that redefining marriage doesn’t affect everyone in society.”

01.12.14

…a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.
-John 16:2-4

Rev. Faye Pama Musa knew immediately why suspected Boko Haram militants burst into his home last year as his wife prepared dinner in the family’s northeastern Nigeria home. His stance against Christian persecution in the divided African nation had long made him a target.

Musa, who served as the general overseer of the Rhema Assembly International Church and secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno, saw the intruders near the front door of his home in Maiduguri as his wife, Mercy, prepped food. One of the couple’s daughters, Zion, had spotted the armed men just seconds earlier jumping a fence.

“Today you are a dead man,” one of the gunmen reported said on May 14 as he dragged Musa to the porch. “Call your Jesus to help you, Mr. CAN man!”

Zion Musa then begged the attackers to spare her father, a request met with a misfired bullet that caused her to faint. She survived but her 52-year-old father – a man who worked closely with Open Doors, a nondenominational group tracking persecuted Christians worldwide – did not.

Musa, according to the group, was one of 2,123 Christians killed last year due to their faith, compared to 1,201 in 2012. More than half of those reported killings (1,213) occurred in Syria, followed by Nigeria (612) and Pakistan (88).

But North Korea — a country of more than 24 million, with an estimated 300,000 Christians — remained the most dangerous country worldwide for Christians for the 12th consecutive year, followed by Somalia, Syria and Iraq.

“Like others in that country, Christians have to survive under one of the most oppressive regimes in contemporary times,” according to a release on the report issued Wednesday. “They have to deal with corrupt officials, bad policies, natural disasters, diseases and hunger. On top of that, they must hide their decision to follow Christ. Being caught with a Bible is grounds for execution or a life-long political prison sentence. An estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians live in concentration camps, prisons and prison-like circumstances under the regime of leader Kim Jong-Un.”

A sub-Saharan African country — Somalia — was ranked second on the organization’s list for the first time. Islamic extremism is the primary source of Christian persecution in the country of more than 10 million and while the capital of Mogadishu is under more moderate Muslim control recently, converts from Islam are threatened with execution, sometimes by the al-Shabaab militant rebels.

Syria, meanwhile, which had not previously cracked the group’s list of top ten most oppressive places for Christians, ranked third last year. Like in Somalia, Islamic extremism powered the prosecution, according to Open Door officials, and many towns that previously had large populations of Christians have become ghost towns.

“The face of persecution in Syria has changed,” the group’s World Watch List reads, adding that nearly half of rebels in Syria have a jihadist background. “The influence of these groups that are linked to Al Qaeda and other extremist factions has risen considerably in the past year.”

12.25.13

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”Luke 2:1-7 (New International Version)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
” ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”Matthew 2:1-12 (New International Version)

We know it’s been a difficult year for many and the new year seems full of questions and uncertainty. We hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Be safe and remember the reason for the season; the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
-Steve and Missi

11.03.13

This week, the Supreme Court will take up deliberation of prayer before government meetings.
As our nation inexorably sides down the path toward the cesspool of anti-Christian, anti-God, I fully expect the court to rule against this, further thumbing our noses at God.
Pray, Christians, that the court continues to allow prayer before government meetings to continue.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will begin deciding the case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, a New York lawsuit that could resonate at all levels of government, from local city councils to state legislatures and even Congress.

In Greece v. Galloway, a lower court ruled that opening a town council meeting with a prayer violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The court ruled that the prayers violated the separation of church and state, and the content of the prayers could give the impression that the government endorses Christianity.

Others disagree.

“The reason legislative prayer is constitutional is because it’s been done since the (nation’s) founding, including by the Congress that promulgated the First Amendment,” former Solicitor General Paul Clement told the Herald.

Lawmakers in Arizona take turns leading the prayer, according to azcentral.com, and bring in different religious leaders, including Jewish, Native American and Muslim leaders.

“It’s part of our history and decorum,” said Donna Kafer, who has served as Arizona’s volunteer legislative chaplain for 15 years and said she believes the daily prayer has a calming effect on lawmakers. “It sets the tone for what they’re there to do.”

09.03.13

As our country descends further and further down the slippery slope of government enforced “Homosexual Acceptance”, Fox News’ Todd Starnes has no problems finding examples of Christian persecution at the hands of embolden militant homosexual activists terrorist and governments agencies.

Mr. Starnes sites the latest example of an Oregon bakery, Sweet Cakes By Melissa, which has been terrorized out of business.

A family-owned Christian bakery, under investigation for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, has been forced to close its doors after a vicious boycott by militant homosexual activists.

Sweet Cakes By Melissa posted a message on its Facebook page alerting customers that their Gresham, Ore. retail store would be shut down after months of harassment from pro-gay marriage forces.

“Better is a poor man who walks in integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways,” read a posting from Proverbs on the bakery’s Facebook page.

“It’s a sad day for Christian business owners and it’s a sad day for the First Amendment,” owner Aaron Klein told me. “The LGBT attacks are the reason we are shutting down the shop. They have killed our business through mob tactics.”

Last January, Aaron and Melissa Klein made national headlines when they refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.

Klein tells me he has nothing against homosexuals — but because of their religious faith, the family simply cannot take part in gay wedding events.

“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” he said. “I don’t want to help somebody celebrate a commitment to a lifetime of sin.”

The lesbian couple filed a discrimination with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and told their story to local newspapers and television statements.

Within days, militant homosexuals groups launched protests and boycotts. Klein told me he received messages threatening to kill his family. They hoped his children would die.

The LGBT protestors then turned on other wedding vendors around the community. They threatened to boycott any florists, wedding planners or other vendors that did business with Sweet Cakes By Melissa.

“That tipped the scales,” Klein said. “The LGBT activists inundated them with phone calls and threatened them. They would tell our vendors, ‘If you don’t stop doing business with Sweet Cakes By Melissa, we will shut you down.’”

To make matters worse, the Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries announced last month they had launched a formal discrimination investigation against the Christian family.

Commissioner Brad Avakian told The Oregonian that he was committed to a fair and thorough investigation to determine whether the bakery discriminated against the lesbians.

“Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that folks have the right to discriminate,” he told the newspaper. “The goal is to rehabilitate. For those who do violate the law, we want them to learn from that experience and have a good, successful business in Oregon.”

In other words, Christians who live and work in Oregon must follow man’s law instead of God’s law. But in a show of benevolence, the state is willing to rehabilitate and reeducate Christian business owners like the Kleins.

Klein said the closing of their retail store was a small price to pay for standing up for their religious beliefs.

“As a man of faith, I am in good spirits,” he said. “I’m happy to be serving the Lord and standing up for what’s right.”

As if that wasn’t enough, recently the National Park Service began requiring permits for churches to hold baptismal services in public waters on park grounds.

Mr. Starnes states in his “American Dispatch”:

The National Park Service began enforcing a policy recently that required churches to obtain special use permits in order to baptize in public waters. As part of the same permit process, the NPS also mandated that churches give the Park Service 48 hours advance notice of pending baptisms.

But as any Baptist or Pentecostal in good standing knows – that’s a problem.

“If the Holy Spirit is working on Sunday morning, you’re going to baptize Sunday afternoon,” Dennis Purcell told The Salem News. “You may not know ahead of time.”

Many Christians believe that the Bible commands new followers of Christ to be baptized immediately after their conversion. It’s a public expression and celebration of their new-found faith in Christ.

The National Park Service told local churches the permits were needed to “maintain park natural/cultural resources and quality visitor experiences, specific terms and conditions have been established.”

The feds also closed vehicle access to a sandbar along a popular creek in the Ozark Mountains, meaning churches could no longer drive their elderly members to the outdoor baptisms. And to make sure the Baptists behaved, they placed large boulders in the area to block car traffic.

The NPS did remove the policy after Rep. Jason Smith became involved. What is very disturbing is that such a directive could go out at all.

The congressman summed the situation up well:

“I am very troubled by any federal rule that requires churches to apply for a permit for the purpose of baptism, especially when these traditional activities have been done in the rivers and streams of this nation since its founding,” the congressman wrote.

He pointed out the National Park Service does not require a 48-hour notification from fisherman or swimmers – so why churches?

“One would hope that the answer is not ‘because the National Park Service wants to limit the number of baptisms performed on the river.”

Christians, we are in trouble. The very people sworn to uphold our religious rights are now treating Christians as criminals. What we thought could never happen in the United States of America is happening under our very noses today. Our time to worship freely and according to God’s Word are rapidly drawing to a close.
Soon you will be forced to either give up the right to worship God, in order to stay compliant with man’s secular law, or be forced “underground” to worship God as “criminals”.

The homofascist rainbow-shirts are at it again. They’ve unsheathed, once more, their anti-Christian long knives.

Back in April, I wrote the following in a column headlined “Religious freedom and ‘gay marriage’ cannot coexist”: “‘Gay pride’ necessitates anti-Christian hate. It must. ‘Gay marriage’ and other ‘sexual orientation’-based laws do violence to freedom and truth. They are the hammer with which the postmodern left intends to bludgeon bloody religious liberty and the Judeo-Christian sexual ethic.”

Liberals are anything if not predictable.

Chai Feldblum, President Obama’s EEOC commissioner – a lesbian activist who supports “plural marriage” – has called the clash between religious liberty and unfettered sexual license a “zero-sum game,” meaning that someone wins and someone loses.

Guess who loses in Feldblum’s book? She has “a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win” and candidly admits that liberals “want to revolutionize societal norms.” She believes that “gay sex is a moral good.”

She’s not alone.

Here’s the latest example of Feldblum’s words in action. The Oregonian reports: “A same-sex couple who requested a cake for their wedding in January but were refused service by a Gresham bakery have filed a complaint with the state, alleging Sweet Cakes by Melissa discriminated against them based on their sexual orientation.

“Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries’ civil rights division will investigate to determine if the business violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, which protects the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations. …

“Rachel N. Cryer, 30, said she had gone to the Gresham bakery on Jan. 17 for a scheduled appointment to order a wedding cake. She met with the owner, Aaron Klein.

“Klein asked for the date of the wedding and names of the bride and groom, Cryer said.

“‘I told him, “There are two brides and our names are Rachel and Laurel,”‘ according to her complaint.

“Klein responded that his business does not provide its services for same-sex weddings, she said.

“‘Respondent cited a religious belief for its refusal to make cakes for same-sex couples planning to marry,’ the complaint says. …”

Mr. Avakian then revealed what he views as a “fair and thorough investigation”: “Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that folks have the right to discriminate,” he said.

Here’s the kicker. Read it closely:

“‘The goal is never to shut down a business. The goal is to rehabilitate,’ Avakian said. ‘For those who do violate the law, we want them to learn from that experience and have a good, successful business in Oregon.’”

George Orwell much?

Get the not-so-thinly-veiled threat? Christians have a right to own a “successful business” in Oregon, so long as they don’t, well, be Christian – so long as they shelve their faith and submit to our ever-”progressive” government’s anti-Christian demands. “The goal is never to shut down a business,” but either you abandon the Judeo-Christian sexual ethic and dutifully observe postmodern sexual relativism, or government will shut you down in a Sodom and Gomorrah minute.

I titled this post “Supreme Court Upholds Gay “Marriage”; U.S. Thumbs Its Nose at God.” We, as a country, from the president down, are thumbing our nose at God.

What does God say about Homosexuality? Let’s take a quick look.

Leviticus 18:22 is where most people cite God’s strongest words concerning homosexuality.

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” King James Version (KJV)

“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” New International Version (NIV)

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” American Standard Version (ASV)

“You shall not lie with a male as [a]one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Footnote [a]: Lit those who lie

“Don’t have sex with a man as one does with a woman. That is abhorrent.” The Message (MSG)

“No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that.” Good News Translation (GNT)

Do you see a common theme here? I do, summed up quite nicely in the last translation; “Got hates that”. It’s bad in God’s eyes. He doesn’t like it and doesn’t want us to do it. Quite simple really.

So today we have, as a country, effectively thumbed our collective noses at God. We have told Him that we don’t care what he says, we are going to support, legalize, normalize and hold dear this thing that He calls bad.

People, there will be consequences for this. As a nation, we must expect God to react to our rebellion. And He will react, I’m sure.

There are some bright points for those of us in favor of marriage as God designed it. The court left the decision of who may get married and where they may do so in the hands of the states. So wherever like minded people choose to live, they may also decide who may get legally married.

The battle continues on both sides. I scarcely believe the homosexuals will be content with this “victory”. They will continue to chip away. It won’t be easy though. As Matt Barber said in his article “Supreme Court vs. Supreme Authority“:

“Know this: Marriage belongs unto God, not unto Caesar. That the Supreme Court might even think itself capable of redefining “the pre-eminent and the most fundamental of all human social institutions” represents an intolerable commingling of state and church. It’s the Supreme Court encroaching upon the Supreme Authority.”

The battle is not over, not by a long shot. Beside, no matter what people vote to do or what courts rule, God will have the final say.

05.18.13

The Internal Revenue Service allegedly told two pro-life to reveal the content of their prayers and prayer meetings, according to the Thomas More Society.

An IRS office in California ordered Christian Voices for Life of Fort Bend County, Texas to explain the content of prayers “as if they were engaging in highly offensive or criminal behavior,” the Thomas More Society charged.

Agents also ordered Coalition for Life of Iowa to provide detailed information about the group’s prayer meetings.

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) demanded that outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller answer questions about the incidents during Friday’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing. “Their question, specifically asked from the IRS to the Coalition for Life of Iowa: ‘Please detail the content of the members of your organization’s prayers.’”

Shock wanted to know if that was an appropriate question for the IRS to ask.

“It pains me to say I can’t speak to that one either,” Miller replied.

The agents also told one of the pro-life groups that they could not picket or protest abortion clinics.

“The IRS was concerned about advocacy,” said Sally Wagenmaker, special counsel to the Thomas More Society. “The (agent) said picketing and protesting is not allowed.”

She said the IRS’s role “should only be to determine whether organizations fit the section 501(c)(3) test for ‘charitable, religious, or educational’ qualification, not to inquire about the content of prayers, protests, and petitions.”

It’s high time that the IRS be called to account for its workers’ potential to trample on our constitutional rights, through such ostensibly innocuous means,” Wagenmaker said – hinting that this may only be the tip of the iceberg of IRS abuses.

An IRS spokesman said they would look into the cases.

Wagenmaker was representing Coalition for Life of Iowa and Christian Voices For Life of Fort Bend County, Texas. Both groups were seeking tax exempt status. Their requests were eventually granted but only after they sought legal help from the Thomas More Society.

In 2009 the Coalition for Life received correspondence from the IRS raising questions about their prayer activity – specifically outside Planned Parenthood clinics.

“You then asked … to have all Coalition Board members sign a statement that the coalition will not ‘picket’ or ‘protest’ outside of Planned Parenthood or similar organizations and will not ‘organize’ others to do so,” Wagenmaker wrote in a letter to an IRS representative known only as “Ms. Richards.”

Wagenmaker said the IRS’s demand was clearly a violation of the pro-life group’s constitutional rights.

“It really concerned me there would seem to be this protection of Planned Parenthood,” Wagenmaker told Fox News. “They had revenues of $55 million and the Coalition is just a group of volunteers.”

The attorney wrote in her letter to the IRS that their demands “come perilously close to violating the First Amendment constitutional rights of the Coalition’s supporters.”

“The IRS’s delay and questioning of the Coalition’s tax-exempt, legitimate activities constitutes unnecessary and prejudicial interference with the Coalition’s legal right to a tax-exempt determination,” she wrote.

Wagenmaker said the IRS’s dogged pursuit of the Coalition was “intimidating” and “heavy-handed.”

In the case of Christian Voices, the IRS implied that the group had to include pro-abortion balance to their programming.

They were directed to explain whether the group’s educational programs educate both sides of the issues.

“Your question implies some sort of legal duty to provide a balanced presentation of educational information,” the attorney wrote.

She said it was incredible to think that the government wanted to require a pro-life group to give equal access to pro-choice groups.

05.09.13

It is absolutely stunning how quickly the moral foundation of our nation has been eroding away. Sometimes I have to wonder if the prophet Isaiah was being prophetic about our timeframe when he wrote, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)

A week ago, two people in the sports world made news. One was a football player who was rejected because of his strong Christian confession and the other was a gay basketball player who was praised for simply declaring his sexual preference.

The football star was Tim Tebow, who has gotten under the skin of the liberal media and other atheist groups, making himself the “poster boy” for Christianity. Tebow accomplished this task by praying on the field after a win, putting Bible verses on his eye black during games, and starring in an anti-abortion ad during the Super Bowl.

I knew when Tebow moved from Colorado to the New York Jets it would end in disaster. The left-coast press did everything they could to attack him. I remember a bunch of Salem witches casting spells on Tim Tebow to ensure he would lose the big game.

The New York Jets couldn’t have hated Tim Tebow more. They dumped him on the first Monday after the NFL draft, knowing that other teams’ rosters would be filled. The chance Tebow will find another job in the league is bleak. Their action would make sense if Tebow had an arrest record or showed up late for meetings or cost the Jets the playoffs with a bad interception. The Jets barely using him in a waste of a season─he appeared in just 77 offensive plays.

What makes the hatred of Tebow all the more hard to understand is how good he has been for the business side of football. The public has had an overwhelmingly positive view of a God-fearing quarterback. In one poll, Tebow was voted the favorite active pro-athlete. He has generated huge ratings. When he played for the Broncos, one game had the highest-rated NFL wildcard game since 1988. Tebow’s famous eighty-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime resulted in a record 9,420 tweets per second. According to Twitter, it was the most frenzied response for any sporting event.

Tim Tebow is being passed around like a bad penny, because the open confession of his Christian faith makes the establishment uncomfortable. They don’t care if he could carry them all the way to the Super Bowl. They reject him because the light in him stings their darkened souls.

The same day Tebow was being sunned, Jason Collins became the first-ever openly gay man in a major American team sport. In a first-person article posted on the Sports Illustrated website, Collins said, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” Collins was predictably showered with praise:

The head of the NBA said he was proud of Collins.

Former president Bill Clinton congratulated him.

President Obama called to congratulate him.

First lady Michelle Obama tweeted her support for Collins. “So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We’ve got your back!”

There were a few people who chose to rain on Collins’ coming out parade. Ben Shapiro, editor-at-large for Breitbart.com got flack for saying: “So Jason Collins is a hero because he’s gay? Our standard for heroism has dropped quite a bit since Normandy.”

ESPN’s Chris Broussard had pro-gay groups asking for his head when he said homosexuality constitutes “open rebellion to God.” During a Monday episode of “Outside the Lines” he said:

Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle, or an openly premarital sex between heterosexuals … if you’re openly living that kind of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits. It says that’s a sin and if you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, [but] adultery, fornication, premarital sex, whatever it may be, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian, because I don’t think the Bible would characterize him as a Christian.

There is no doubt in my mind that we have reached the point where sin produces a type illogical insanity. Anyone who thinks someone who has sex with his same gender is preferred over someone who prays on the field needs to be fitted with one of those white jackets that buckles in the back.

If you are someone who realizes how wicked the world is getting, there is still hope for you. Society may be doomed to suffer God’s wrath, but you can escape by seeking the grace that can only come from the blood of Jesus.

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18-19).